"Awesome!", "She draws so well!": Praise pours in for Episode 13 ED illustration by Asaki Yuikawa, voice actress for the protagonist in "The Elusive Samurai"

On the official X account for the TV anime "The Elusive Samurai," the ending illustration for Episode 13 on streaming platforms was released, creating a stir. This time, an illustration drawn by Asaki Yuikawa herself, the voice actress playing the protagonist Tokiyuki Hōjō, was featured, generating a huge response on SNS.

In the published image, Hōjō as drawn by Yuikawa can be seen inside a square frame placed in the center of a background with fluttering pale pink cherry blossoms. Smiling with large purple eyes, slightly flushed cheeks are depicted, with multiple pink heart marks decorated around the outside and inside of the frame. As the anime held an open call for ending illustrations from April 18 to May 31, 2024, different illustrations were used for the TV broadcast version and the streaming version.

The TV anime "The Elusive Samurai" is a work produced based on the manga of the same name serialized by Yūsei Matsui in "Weekly Shonen Jump." The original manga has surpassed a cumulative circulation of 5 million copies and won the 69th Shogakukan Manga Award. The second season of the anime has been broadcasting since July 2026.

In response to this post, comments gathered on SNS such as "Wait, the end card was drawn by the voice actress?!?!?!", "Asaki Yuikawa is awesome...!", "Asaki draws so well! Ah, and it's different between TV and streaming?", and "Totally fits my interpretation!"

(C)松井優征／集英社・逃げ上手の若君製作委員会